Rising-and-falling shuttle box and like motions for looms for weaving



Jan. 10, 1933. w, D l 1,893,546

RISING AND FALLING SHUTTLE BOX AND LIKE MOTIONS FOR LOOMS FOR WEAVING Filed Aug. 26. 1931 (ill Patented Jan. 10, 1933 UNITE STATES WALTER GLEDHILL, OF HUDDERSFIELD, ENGLAND RISINGAND-FALLING SHUTTLE BOX AND LIKE MOTIONS FOR LOOMS FOR WEAVING Application filed August 26, 1931, Serial No. 559,529, and. in Great Britain October 9, 1930.

The invention relates to looms employing rising-and-falling shuttle box or equivalent motions, and although applicable to any looms having motions of this description it has particular reference to looms, employing stationary weft supplies, wherein a series of wefts of different colours or characters are associated with respective delivering grippers any one of which can, by vertical movement, be detachably connected to, or disconnected from, a horizontally moving carrier bar designed to carry its associated gripper part way across the shed, where such gripper hands over the end of its weft thread to a receiving gripper, which completes the laying of the weft in the shed. A loom of the construction referred to is described in the specification of my prior Patent No. 1,802,- 311.

' It is found in practice that it is desirable to provide means to ensure the exact vertical positioning of the delivering grippers each time a change is to be made from one gripper to another in order that the box compartment containing the selected gripper may be presented truly in alignment with the carrier bar and the present invention has for its object to provide means to this end. 1 The invention is characterized in that the usual vertically-movable rod, by which the movable box or housing for the delivering grippers is actuated, has associated with it a series of surfaces adapted to co-operate with a fixed surface carried by the loom frame, so that in the event of the box not having been moved by its actuating means to the exact vertical level desired, the fixed surface will co-operate with the corresponding surface or surfaces on the box lifter rod and will move the box vertically into the correct position. The term fixed applied to the member carried by the loom frame refers to its vertical position, and said memberwill preferably be movable in a horizontal plane and be connected to the usual handle or part provided to enable the loom to be turned back by hand, so that when the loom is to be so turned, the box rod will be freed for the necessary vertical movement. Whilst re-instatement of normal conditions will ensure that the box is correctly positioned before the loom is re-started.

In the accompanying drawing, I

Fig. 1 is a front view of an embodiment of the invention, and

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the vertically-fixed positioning member.

Referring to the drawing (4 represents the raceway of the loom, and Z) a shuttle box, having a series of compartments 6, each adapted to receive a weft-carrier or gripper c, said box being movable vertically to bring a selected compartment opposite the raceway. Vertical movement of the box is adapted to detach one gripper from a horizontally movable carrier bar 01 and to effect the connection to said bar of the gripper which is moved into line with the raceway.

Vertical movement is given to the box by a rod e on which it is carried, said rod receiving rising and falling movements by suitable mechanism, not shown, under indication of a pattern mechanism.

The parts so far referred to form no part of the present invention, which relates sole- 1y to means for ensuring the accurate positioning of a selected compartment of t e box in relation to the carrier bar and raceway, so that when the bar attempts to move inward- 1y, its movement is not obstructed by the box, neither is the inward movement of the gripper obstructedby the raceway.

In the illustrated embodiment of our invention the box rod is provided with a series of appropriately spaced rollers f mounted on horizontal axes, and pivoted at g to the loom frame or to a bracket carried thereby, so as to swing in a horizontal plane, is a positioning member 9 in the form of a bar having a tapered or wedge-shaped engaging surface 9 which, as the lay swings rearwardly is adapted to enter between an adjacent pair ofthe rollers f and, in the event of the rod 6 not having moved the box to the exact height required, will function to correct the position of the box.

The member 9 is appropriately curved to allow for the arcuate motion occasioned by the swing of the loom lay.

The vertical movement of the box 6, if

try of the surface g between a pair of rollers corrects the positioning and during the remainder of the backward swing and the first part of the next forward swing the projection 9 remains between the rollers and preserves the correct positioning of the box.

It may be that, in order to correct irregularities or for other reasons it is desired to move the box 6 by hand when the lay is so far back that the projection g is engaged between a pair of rollers. It is for this reason that the member 9 is mounted pivotally, to swing in ahorizontal plane. The front end of the member is guided in a slot in a bracket fixed on the loom frame, and it has a connection h to the usual handle controlling the disconnecting means between the dobby or head motion of the loom, the box motion or means for giving vertical movements to the rod 0, and the rest of the loom drive. WVhen the handle referred to is operated to effect disconnection, the member 9 is swung outwardly, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2 to a position in which it is clear of the rollers f, so that the box can be raised or lowered at any position of lay movement. lVhen the handle is operated to re-connect the dobby or head motion and the box motion, the member 9 is moved back so that the projection g re-enters between the pair of rollers which may have been brought into position. It may be that the operation of the box rod has not quite accurately positioned the box and the inner edge of the projection g is therefore made of taper or wedge form as indicated at 9. Thus, when the member is swung inwardly the surface 9* will correct any imperfection in the positioning of the box.

Obviously, instead of the member 9 being mounted pivotally, it might be mounted to slide horizontally inwards and outwards relatively to the box rod, but the pivotal arrangement shown is preferred.

In order to avoid breakage such as might occur in the event of a change in the vertical position of the box being attempted at a time when the positioning member was engaged between a pair of rollers f, or if for any other reason vertical movement of the box is obstructed, it is preferable to make the box rod in two parts united by a give-way connection. To thisend the rod 0 may have slidable within its lower end a part e and carry a pivoted latch i normally pressed by a spring j into a recess in the part 6. The part 6 is connected to the box-operating means, and in the event of obstruction to vertical movement of the box the latch will become disengaged and the part 6 will move idly within the part c. lVhen the obstruction is removed, the latch will spring back into place and the parts 6 and 6 will move together.

It will be-obvious that the actual details of construction and arrangement of the parts employed may vary from those of the particular embodiment illustrated, whilst still retaining the essential feature of the invention, namely the provision on the box rod of surfaces adapted to cooperate with a vertically fixed positioning member designed to ensure the correct alignment of a compartment of the box in relation to the carrier bar and raceway.

It is a matter of some difficulty to adjust the ordinary box actuating mechanisms to give the required degree of accuracy, but the employment of means according to the invention obviates necessity for close adjust-, ment of the actuating mechanism, since the latter is now only called upon to move the box rod to an approximate position, any necessary correction being effected by the cooperating surfaces.

It will be apparent that the invention can, with advantage, 'be applied to ordinary shuttle looms, using rising and falling shuttle boxes, since the correct positioning of the shuttle in relation to the picker will tend towards accuracy and smoothness of workmg.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let-. ters Patent is 1. In a weaving loom employing a risingand-falling shuttle box or equivalent mo.- tion, a box having a series of superposed compartments, a rod carrying said box and adapted to be moved vertically under indication of a pattern-controlled mechanism, a series of vertically-spaced rollers on said rod, said rollers being rotatable about hori.-' zontal axes, and a vertically-fixed positioning bar member having a tapered engaging surface adapted to enter between adjacent pairs of rollers after the box-shifting mechanism has ceased to operate and by such entry to correct any irregularity in the vertical positioning of the box.

2. In a weaving loom employing a risingand-falling shuttle box or equivalent mo! tion, a box having a series of superposed compartments, a rod carrying said box and adapted to be moved vertically under indication of a pattern-controlled mechanism, a series of vertically spaced surfaces on such.

rod corresponding to various lifts of the box, 7

a positioning member movable in a horizon-..

tal plane and adapted to co-operate with the surfaces on the rod to correct any irregularity in the vertical positioning of the box, and means whereby when the box shifting mechanism is disconnected from the loom drive said positionin member is removed to an inoperative position.

3. In a weaving loom employing a risingand-falling shuttle box or equivalent motion, a box having a series of superposed compartments, a member carrying said box and adapted for vertical movement, spaced rotatable elements carried by said member, a movable positioning member adapted to enter between adjacent pairs of the rotatable elements to correct any irregularity in the vertical positioning of the box, and means whereby when the box shifting mechanism is disconnected from the loom drive said postionng member is removed to an inoperative position.

4:. In a weaving loom employing a risingand-falling shuttle box or equivalent motion, a box having a series of superposed compartments, a box carrying member connected to operating means and adapted for vertical positioning movement, a series of vertically spaced surfaces on said member, a movable positioning member adapted to cooperate with the surfaces on the member to correct any irregularity in the vertical positioning of the box, a slidable member arranged within the lower portion of said box carrying member and connected to the box operating means, means pivotally connected to said box carrying member and normally engaging and locking said slidable member against movement within said member, and means whereby said slidable member may be released from its locking engagement for idle movement within the box carrying member whereby the box is held in an inoperative position.

5. In a weaving loom employing a risingand-falling shuttle box or equivalent motion, a box having a series of superposed compart ments, a box carrying member connected to operating means and adapted for vertical positioning movement, a series of vertically spaced surfaces on said member, a movable positioning member adapted to cooperate with the surfaces on the member to correct any irregularity in the vertical positioning of the box, a slidable member carried by said box carrying member and normally in locking engagement therewith, said slidable member connected to the box operating means, and means whereby said slidable member may be released from its locking engagement for idle movement whereby said box is held in inoperative position.

In testimony whereof I afiix my si nature.

WALTER GLEDI IILL. 

